Woman’s Head

Leon Hartl (01/31/1889-1973) was born in Paris, France. He moved to the United States in 1912, and became a citizen ten years later. He was a self-taught artist who was an expert on aniline dyes. He painted lyrical landscapes and still lifes. He usually painted on Sundays because he worked during the week. He was a member of Artists Equity, and an easel painter for Federal Arts Projects (WPA). He had his first solo exhibition at the Whitney Studio Club in New York City in 1925 and continued to have solo exhibitions in New York City through 1976. He also participated in several group exhibitions.
Hartl won several awards including the MacDowell Colony Fellowship (1959-61) and the Ingram Merrill Foundation Grant (1968). His works are in the collections of the Corcoran, the University of Nebraska, the Phillips Collection, and Syracuse University.